Pickleball’s Pacific boom is building sporting pathway

Pickleball is taking off across New Zealand but it is the Pasifika community helping give the fast-growing sport a life of its own.

Pickleball is a fast-paced racket sport played on a smaller court, combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis.

In Aotearoa, the sport is spreading through community centres, churches and schools, with Pacific-led clubs emerging across Auckland and players now making their mark at national level.

Among them is 28-year-old Tongan Semisi Fanguna, one of Aotearoa’s top-ranked players, who first picked up a paddle after playing at his church.

“I started playing pickleball two or three years ago. Because I'm Mormon, I think that's when everything started like at the church,” he told PMN News.

Fanguna moved from Tonga to New Zealand when he was nine and had previously played tennis after being inspired by his aunty.

“I really enjoyed playing soft because I really like volleying in tennis. I was able to make everyone run, even though I didn't know how to play, so I think that's what got me interested in pickleball.”

He started playing pickleball in 2022 and quickly moved into competitive play, winning medals and becoming one of the sport’s better-known players.

Now, he has his sights set on the United States where the sport has a much bigger professional scene.

The Otahuhu Stallions team: Pacific-led pickleball clubs are hoping to create new pathways for young players to compete at major tournaments and represent New Zealand. Photo/Facebook/Otahuhu Stallions

“That's like one of my main purposes, try to get into like the MLP and just try to play in more PPA events,” he says.

But Fanguna is not the only Pacific player helping shape the sport.

Pacific-led clubs including Fanguna’s West Ace Tigers, Favona Pickleball Club, Lions Pickleball Club and Otahuhu Stallions are bringing more players onto the courts.

Seini Afu and her husband Loni founded the Stallions, which became an official club last September.

Afu says the club is about building a place where families and communities can connect.

“We both love sport, but for us, it’s about more than just playing. It’s about creating a space where everyone feels welcome, can have a laugh, meet new people, build friendships and simply enjoy themselves.”

Semisi Fanguna and Ela Puleni Vakakaumea, far right, were among the winners of the 2026 NPL Division Two League. Photo/Instagram/Ela Puleni Vakakaumea

The club began after Loni and his friends started playing at the Otahuhu Recreation Centre. As interest grew, the centre’s manager suggested an open night to give others a chance to try the sport.

“Even though we had very little experience, we thought, ‘Why not?’ If it meant giving more people an opportunity to come together, play, exercise and have fun, we were willing to give it a go,” Afu says.

The open night was a success and the Stallions Pickleball Club was born. It now has 69 players from a range of backgrounds, including Māori, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niuean and Sāmoan.

Afu says pickleball’s biggest strength is that it can bring generations together on the same court.

“Literally, the oldest member in our club is 70 years old. You can have parents, grandparents, young adults and kids all on the courts together.”

She wants that community base to become a stronger pathway for Pacific juniors.

The Otahuhu Stallions during competition: Their co-founder Seini Afu says pickleball is creating a space where Pacific families can connect, play and build friendships. Photo/Facebook/Otahuhu Stallions

“We’d love to see some of the kids and beginners who started with us one day representing at major tournaments, or even representing New Zealand.”

That pathway is already starting to take shape.

Ela Puleni Vakakaumea, full-time pickleball coach and competitive player, began playing in 2023 and quickly fell for the mix of competition and community.

“There was something about the combination of skill, strategy, competitiveness and, most importantly, the people that really pulled me in,” she says.

Vakakaumea says pickleball also feels familiar because of the way it brings people together.

“You can have a competitive game on the court, but once you step off the court, everyone is still family.”

Members of the West Ace Tigers Pickleball Club.

After recently helping a Tongan team win the 2026 National Pickleball League Division Two championship, Vakakaumea wants more Pacific young people to see what is possible.

“I want young Pacific kids to see someone who looks like them, comes from a similar culture and has made it possible and think, why not me?”

She says the Pacific pickleball community is now focused on growing the sport and creating more opportunities for the next generation.

Cedric Tausinga, a journalism student at AUT, is currently completing a two-week internship at PMN News.